Cool Things I Am Doing (which aren't actually cool)

Semester 2 timetables for uni just came out. I had to change around some classes, but I'm pretty happy with what I've got and what I'm doing.

1) ENGL1025: Film, Fiction, Power
2) ARHT1001: Art History and Theory
3) ARCA1002: Introduction to Archaeology
4) PHYS1500: Astronomy

I've also applied to get myself a job at McDonalds. I did my best to find a job somewhere else, but when you're not getting called back because you have no work experience, I realised that McDonalds would probably be an alright place. I get to be surrounded by people I know, get paid and pretty much cook/clean things. I like to cook, and cleaning doesn't really bother me SO IT'S ALL GOOD. Once I get money I can start collecting all the Silver Age Justice League trades they've got out, maybe even get some classic X-Men.

I've also out-grown video games, to a point at least. I'm keeping all my old consoles, like the PS2, SNES and N64, but selling everything else (i.e. my DS). Video games just don't hold my interest like they used to, but I'm not saying that I won't ever play a game again, just that the chances of me ever buying a game for myself is close to zero. I guess now that I'm all COMIC BOOKS, ANIMATION, FILM!!!! I've moved from one nerdy/geeky fanbase to another.

I'm currently trying to make a stencil for the Deathly Hallows, because the symbol looks sweet as and I want it on a shirt.
Also, more clubs need to play the Ghostbuster theme. Until other places do, I will be going to Hot Damn over and over.

Thus concludes a boring entry. I'll write up about something cool next time, like a film or a comic.

Work in Progress Scripts

Totally got some sweet, dope, phat, phresh scripting down for some comic ideas. So far I've got 3 stories lined up. I'll hopefully get the drafts done after my exam, and hopefully get one of them finished. The ideas probably sound kinda stupid to anyone but me, but I promise the final product will be good. Honest.

1) Guy deals with the issue of reality and dream, and where the line between each is. This story is more focused on my panel layout techniques than it is story.

2) A man who has the ability to mentally travel through time (as in, can send his mentality at the age of 64 back to when he is 8, making some super smart kid or whatever) sits down with a woman and attempts to explain his peculiar situation and what he has done with such powers. This should help build my character development, conversation and pacing skills.

3) Wacky hijinx ensures as a girl attempts to get home after a drunken night of fun in the big city. This will have either very little or no dialogue/thought boxes. Works on building my pacing, panel/art layout and the whole "Show, not tell" thing that everyone loves so much.

Seeing an odd theme of memory through all of this. Eh, whatever. I'll probably release some of them online and throw out a printed mini for people to buy or whatever. Like, $2 each or something. MOVING ON UP!

I also need an artist or I will be forced to use my art skills. Crazy angular German-expressionist artworks - what I try.

A Play-By-Play of Fame: Lady Gaga

Fame: Lady Gaga
Writer: Dan Rafter
Artist: Kristoffer Smith
Publisher: Bluewater Comics

I have to admit, creating a comicbook about one of the most hyped pop musicians currently in the industry is actually a good idea. By pulling in fans of Lady Gaga you can create new fans of the comic medium. Hell, making a comic about Lady Gaga seems almost obvious considering her over the top music videos. She gives me this weird super-villain vibe, because killing a cafe full of people seems like something the Joker would do. This comic just sucks. Of all the Lady Gaga related things they could have done they go with probably the worst choice.

The story revolves around professed music enthusiast Bill, despite the fact he only references Queen and David Bowie. While trying to find a new pizzazz filled band he stumbles across Lady Gaga. We are then treated to 22 pages of boring plot in which a fat man slowly loses his mind and destroys his life. At one point he dresses as Gaga and performs Poker Face in the middle of a crowded street.

Anyway, to show you how bad this comic truly is I'm going to give a page-by-page run down and throw in as many images I can.

Cover: Straight away you know this thing is going to suck. We are treated to a poorly rendered image of Lady Gaga that was clearly run through some Photoshop filter. Really? This is just incredibly lazy and unattractive. The cover is what catches the eye of the buyer; if you present them with a pile of crap, what chance is there of them picking up your book?

Page 1: Woah, alright. Straight away we're presented with what I think is a woman, I'm not sure. It looks like a dude in a wig. This She-Man isn't half as frightening as the huge beast that sits on the couch watching her through his giant anime eyes. This is our dashing hero Bill. Here we get to see him complain about the terrible state of music these days. Gosh darn kids.

Page 2: Woah, check out all these musicians. At least I think that's what they are, because they look more like melting wax figures. Except Blondie, she looks like a dude in a wig. Speaking of wigged women, Bill's wife.

Page 3: Wow, probably the best panel of this entire book and even then it's a stretch to call that good. If there's one thing that bothers me it's tracing photo references, although the fact Smith can't even get that right makes me feel sorta happy. I love Bill's eyes in the bottom left panel, "LADY GAGA, AM I KAWAII ENUFF 4 U??? XD" This page also starts one of the most prominent themes of this book which can be summed up as "My wife? Pffft, who cares about her."

Page 4: On this page, Bill transforms into a skinnier teen version of himself momentarily. Also, IT'S FOR MY NIECE OKAY!!!

Page 5: Ugh, goddamn kids not knowing about bands that predate their generation. Why I oughta! Better get home quick and stop my face from melting!

Page 6: I love it when artists just insert images they've clearly Googled into their work, particularly when the image is so glaringly different to the rest of the art.

Page 7: I too wear sunglasses when viewing Youtube. These panels also help to further prove that Lady Gaga is in fact a man. Look at those goddamn arms in the bottom left panel.

Page 8: AH WHAT THE HELL, WHY DID ANYONE THINK THIS NEEDED TO BE INCLUDED. Also, wet-dreaming about Gaga while your wife is in the next room.

Page 9: "Crap, just a dream. It's always a dream and I wake up." Uh, well, ok? I could feel your pain from the look in your soulless dead eyes.

Page 10: He writes a blog. How am I not surprised?

Page 11: Wow Gaga, you sure were built as a teen. How much did you bench press? Think you could lift the grown man sitting across from you in the school-girl outfit? You'd rather lift your skirt? Well, alright then.

Page 12: Oh no, my man-wife caught on to my secret shame! Better cover my face with my hand, which just happens to be as big as my head.

Page 13: "Bill, I'm busying looking at my blank computer screen, do you mind shutting up?"

Page 14: You could have just as easily ended this page on the fourth panel. We don't care what you're ordering for lunch, you're just wasting time and space with trivial plot.

Page 15: Product placement and inhuman faces!

Page 16: Wow, character development. This would be great except for Bill fantastising about Gaga despite the fact he became uncomfortable with his wife doing it on the previous page (I think at least, I can't tell happy or sad from these facial expressions).

Page 17: "Bill, I can barely deal with the sudden change in art quality here without you having a mental breakdown."

Page 18: Oh, now I'm seeing the message behind this comic. Listen to Lady Gaga and you will go completely insane. That... makes sense?

Page 19: Those are some big ass hands for a lady. Oh wait, it's Bill in drag. Again. Never mind.

Page 20: There aren't enough "Lady Gaga is a dude" jokes in the world to cover this entire comic. Seriously though, what kind of message are they trying to create? Listen to Lady Gaga and you will lose all sense of reality?

Page 21: Is anyone familiar with Ricardo Lopez?

Page 22: I presume Gaga was supposed to be drawn 'sexy' on this page, but somehow I don't think Smith understood this himself. Unless you find women with the bodies of Greek gods with HUGE hands incredibly attractive, you probably feel the same way about this page as me. Also, why is she singing to the off-panel person, and why is her expression so angry? Is it because the background is terrible?

Bonus Pin-Up: Yeah... no. Better get to your next Street Fighter tournament Ken. I can only presume this is a stand alone issue, unless they find it necessary to tell the story of Bill's excellent adventure to the Haus of Gaga.

This comic is just bad. The art is a goddamn mess with Smith constantly straying from his own character models, coupled with his inability to draw women as women. Rafter's writing is no better as he belts out an absolutely boring story about nothing. The fact that someone sat down and thought that this was a good idea is perplexing. It's so disappointing as well, because Lady Gaga is the exact opposite of this book. She's interesting, colourful and fun; everything this comic tries to be but ultimately fails at.